"The Radio Priest" is an installment of "The American Experience" and it's about Father Coughlin...a man incredibly popular in his time but who is all but forgotten today. And, when you learn more about him, you understand why he's such an obscure guy today.
Father Charles Coughlin was a priest who became prominent during the Great Depression. What made him popular were his fiery sermons and anger-filled lectures on the radio. Most Americans were searching for answers...such as WHY the Depression occurred and who was behind this economic collapse. Coughlin's message was pretty simply...antisemitism. To him, the world was a mess due to an international conspiracy of Jewish bankers and he was also an admirer of the Nazis. The fact that so many Americans LIKED his message is a sad testament to the times.
This is a good but not great introduction to the Coughlin phenomenon. It gives a nice overall view but is short of discussing his life before radio as well as his life out of the spotlight after he was, thankfully, removed from the air.
Father Charles Coughlin was a priest who became prominent during the Great Depression. What made him popular were his fiery sermons and anger-filled lectures on the radio. Most Americans were searching for answers...such as WHY the Depression occurred and who was behind this economic collapse. Coughlin's message was pretty simply...antisemitism. To him, the world was a mess due to an international conspiracy of Jewish bankers and he was also an admirer of the Nazis. The fact that so many Americans LIKED his message is a sad testament to the times.
This is a good but not great introduction to the Coughlin phenomenon. It gives a nice overall view but is short of discussing his life before radio as well as his life out of the spotlight after he was, thankfully, removed from the air.
